EDSA rehabilitation

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December 26, 2025 | 12:00am

The country’s most traveled highway will finally be rehabilitated starting this week. As in the first attempt, questions are again being raised over why this is a priority, given that it will almost certainly worsen traffic.

They should probably field all the Dalian trains at MRT3 to add capacity for commuters and get some cars off the road.

Critics also say that DPWH will likely rip-up EDSA pavements that are still very much usable. There are suspicions that some contractors have already been given advance payments and commissions paid. Pursuing the rehab now will justify any corrupt deals in the past.

DPWH Secretary Vince Dizon is new at the agency and is not an engineer. The old timers there are probably just making a fool out of him on the technical issues. Vince came on strong on corruption and created an us-vs-them realignment within the DPWH staff.

So, the mafia at DPWH decided to use  Sec. Vince as spokesman and effectively bless the project including its faults. They made him say that the EDSA rehab will just take advantage of the holiday season’s lower-than-usual traffic volume to get the work started.

The EDSA rehab will not really improve traffic flow.

What should be prioritized is the rehabilitation of Guadalupe bridge. Commuters now say a prayer every time they are on the bridge. But the bridge rehab won’t happen until they finish constructing a bypass bridge.

Actually, DPWH neglected to put up several more bridges across the Pasig River. Urban planners have long called for five to six more vehicular bridges and 10+ pedestrian-focused bridges, to ease Metro Manila’s traffic, integrate with ferry systems and support the Pasig River Esplanade.

Perhaps they are waiting for more ODA grants to build those bridges. The one built by China connecting Binondo and Intramuros could have been more useful elsewhere along the Pasig River.

But Sec. Vince had been hoodwinked by the DPWH cabal to say that the ongoing EDSA rehab “is entirely different from the original plan. We have worked to find a better way for the (EDSA rehabilitation) project. It is important to begin this project; we can assure the public that this will only cause minimal disruption.”

Minimal disruption? Come on, Vince. Even without the rehab, EDSA is already a major disruption.

BBM ordered the earlier plan postponed until DPWH finds a new technology to speed up the rehab to the least amount of time possible so as not to inconvenience the public already burdened with EDSA traffic jams.

So, Sec. Vince said the DPWH “will be using new Japanese asphalt technology. (In the original) plan, we were supposed to use traditional asphalt. I think this new technology has not been used on our national roads yet.”

That supposedly new technology is stone mastic asphalt (SMA).

It is not a new technology and it is German, not Japanese. It was developed in Germany in the 1960s with the first SMA pavements being placed in 1968. It is supposed to be more durable and involves less maintenance than traditional asphalt, if done right.

It was first introduced in the Philippines in the early 2000s when studies by DPWH officials explored implementing SMA technology with cellulose fiber additives, indicating initial technical exploration and testing.

In fact, DPWH issued Department Order 13 in 2013, providing specifications for SMA with cellulose fiber, signaling its formal adoption into national road standards.

SMA is said to be superior to ordinary asphalt because it results in a pavement that is more resistant to deformation, cracking and potholes compared to traditional asphalt mixes.

Reduced maintenance is also an added advantage. Its robust nature means less frequent repairs, making it cost-effective long-term. It also provides superior rut resistance.

The other interesting thing with SMA is the use of bagasse or sugar cane waste and coconut coir fiber (which we have plenty here) as a reinforcement material to improve the mechanical properties and durability of the asphalt pavement.

SMA is typically used for high-traffic roads and motorways, where a durable and long-lasting surface is essential. It can also be used in more demanding applications, such as airport runways, industrial estates and heavy-duty truck parks.

Sec. Vince said the project cost is now estimated at P6 billion from the earlier P17-billion quote. Stone mastic asphalt that they plan to use is more expensive. Does that mean the previous quote was seriously overpriced?

The DPWH, together with the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority and the Department of Transportation presented a revised plan with a timetable of eight months from the original target of two years.

The first phase of the project covers all reblocking works and asphalt overlay of subway lanes both for northbound and southbound. This will be a round-the-clock construction work beginning Dec. 24 and ending on Jan. 5, 2026.

But did they check the weather? It has been raining daily in the afternoons lately and that will delay work completion.

The construction work for the second phase will only be during 10 p.m. to 4 a.m. starting Jan. 5, 2026 until May 31, 2025, Mr. Dizon said. Hmm… that’s less than eight months.

During the second phase of the project, DPWH will carry out asphalt overlay lane by lane for both northbound and southbound sections during the working week, with Friday to Sunday devoted to asphalt overlay and reblocking of one lane per direction.

If SMA is so good, why wasn’t it used more widely or at all? DPWH knew about this almost 30 years ago. Yet, they have been doing constant reblocking on EDSA for decades, with the traditional asphalt surface melting with the next heavy rains and floods.

Maybe the constant reblocking is something like flood control projects that make bureaucrats and contractors rich at our expense. So, will they do it right this time?

Boo Chanco’s email address is [email protected]. Follow him on X @boochanco